Adjustable dead-latching bolt mechanism

Abstract

A latch mechanism having an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the distance to which a latch bolt extends into a mating recess. The adjustment mechanism may include a driver component and a driven component. Rotation of the driver component about a first axis may displace the driven component, thereby causing the position of the latch bolt to be adjusted along a second axis that is non-parallel to the first axis. According to certain embodiments, the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. The latch mechanism may also include an inner housing that is displaced as the latch bolt is extended into, and retracted from, a mating recess in an adjacent structure. Further, the position of the inner housing may remain generally static as the position of the latch bolt is adjusted along the second axis via operation of the adjustment mechanism.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A latch mechanism for securing a position of a door, the latch mechanism comprising:
 an outer housing having a sidewall that generally defines an inner region, the outer housing configured for operable attachment to the door; 
 a latch bolt operably connected to a displacement rod, the latch bolt having a distal end, the distal end being at a first position when the latch bolt is in an extended position and at a second position when the latch bolt is in a retracted position, the first position being further from the outer housing than the second position; 
 an adjustment mechanism having a driver component and a driven component, the driven component being operably connected to a body portion of the displacement rod, the driver component configured for rotational displacement about a first axis, the driven component being adapted to be displaced by the rotational displacement of the driver component to adjust a position of the displacement rod and the latch bolt along a second axis, the second axis being non-parallel to the first axis; and 
 a deadlock link pivotally coupled to the outer housing, the deadlock link configured for pivotable displacement between a locked position and an unlocked position, the deadlock link further including an abutment surface configured to prevent displacement of the latch bolt from the extended position to the retracted position when the deadlock link is in the locked position. 
 
     
     
       2. The latch mechanism of  claim 1 , wherein the first axis is generally perpendicular to the second axis. 
     
     
       3. The latch mechanism of  claim 2 , wherein the driven component is operably connected to the body portion of the displacement rod by at least an engagement between internal threads of the driven component and external threads of the body portion, and wherein the displacement of the driven component by the rotational displacement of the driven component is a rotational displacement. 
     
     
       4. The latch mechanism of  claim 3 , wherein the driver component is a worm screw and the driven component is a worm gear. 
     
     
       5. The latch mechanism of  claim 3 , wherein the latch bolt, the displacement rod, and the adjustment mechanism are operably connected to an inner housing, the inner housing configured for displacement within the inner region of the outer housing as the latch bolt is displaced between the extended and retracted positions. 
     
     
       6. The latch mechanism of  claim 5 , wherein the position of the inner housing relative to at least the latch bolt remains generally static as the position of the latch bolt is adjusted along the second axis by the rotational displacement of the driven component. 
     
     
       7. The latch mechanism of  claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the outer housing is configured for placement within a cavity of the door. 
     
     
       8. A latch mechanism for a door comprising:
 an outer housing having an inner region; 
 an inner housing configured for slidable displacement relative to the outer housing within at least a portion of the inner region; 
 an adjustment mechanism secured to the inner housing and being slideably displaceable with the inner housing relative to the outer housing, the adjustment mechanism having a driver component and a driven component, at least a portion of the driven component configured for a mating engagement with at least a portion of the driven component, the driver component adapted to be rotated about a first axis to displace the driven component; 
 a displacement rod adapted to engage the driven component, the displacement of the driven component by the rotation of the driver component displaces a position of the displacement rod along a second axis, the second axis being non-parallel to the first axis; 
 a latch bolt coupled to the displacement rod, the latch bolt being generally displaced along the second axis as the position of the displacement rod is adjusted by the displacement of the driven component; and 
 a deadlock link pivotally coupled to the outer housing and positioned within the inner region, the deadlock link being configured for pivotable displacement between a locked position and an unlocked position, the deadlock link further including an abutment surface configured to prevent the slideable displacement of the inner housing relative to the outer housing in a linear direction along the second axis when the deadlock link is in the locked position. 
 
     
     
       9. The latch mechanism of  claim 8 , wherein the first axis is generally perpendicular to the second axis. 
     
     
       10. The latch mechanism of  claim 9 , wherein the outer housing is configured to be positioned within an inner cavity of the door. 
     
     
       11. The latch mechanism of  claim 10 , wherein the driver component is a worm screw and the driven component is a worm gear. 
     
     
       12. The latch mechanism of  claim 11 , wherein the driven component includes an aperture having internal threads that mate with external threads of the body portion of the displacement rod, and wherein the displacement of the driven component is a rotational displacement which causes the internal threads about the external threads so as to adjust the position of the displacement rod along the second axis. 
     
     
       13. The latch mechanism of  claim 12 , wherein the displacement rod and the latch bolt are part of a single, monolithic structure. 
     
     
       14. The latch mechanism of  claim 8 , wherein the driver component is a pinion and the driven component is a plurality of serrations in a sidewall of the displacement rod. 
     
     
       15. A latch mechanism for securing a door in a closed position relative to an adjacent structure, the latch mechanism comprising:
 an outer housing having a sidewall, the sidewall generally defining an inner region; 
 an inner housing configured for slidable displacement between an extended position and a retracted position within at least a portion of the inner region, the inner housing having an inner housing sidewall; 
 an adjustment mechanism having a driver component and a driven component, the driver component operably connected a drive shaft, at least a portion of the drive shaft rotatably secured to the inner housing sidewall, the driver component configured to be rotatably displaced about a first axis, the driven component configured to be rotatably displaced about a second axis by the rotational displacement of the driver component, the first axis being perpendicular to the second axis; 
 a displacement rod having a first end, a second end, and a body portion, the first end operably connected to a latch bolt, and the body portion having external threads configured for a mating engagement with internal threads of the driven component, the rotational displacement of the internal threads about the external threads is adapted to adjust a position of the latch bolt generally along the second axis between at least a first position and a second position, the latch bolt is configured to extend into a recess in the adjacent structure when the inner housing is in the extended position, the latch bolt is further configured to be retracted from the recess when the inner housing is in the retracted position; 
 a deadlock link configured for pivotable displacement between a locked position and an unlocked position, the deadlock link further including an abutment surface configured to prevent the displacement of the inner housing from the extended position to the retracted position when the deadlock link is in the locked position. 
 
     
     
       16. The latch mechanism of  claim 15 , further including a biasing element configured to bias the deadlock link in the locked position. 
     
     
       17. The latch mechanism of  claim 16 , further including a drawbar link, the drawbar link operably connected to the inner housing, the drawbar link having an inclined surface configured to engage and lift a protrusion of the deadlock link as the drawbar link is moved so as to pivotally displace the deadlock link from the locked position to the unlocked position. 
     
     
       18. The latch mechanism of  claim 15 , wherein the position of the inner housing relative to at least the latch bolt remains generally static as the position of the latch bolt is adjusted between the first and second positions. 
     
     
       19. The latch mechanism of  claim 18 , wherein the driver component is a worm screw and the driven component is a worm gear.